Processing machine for pile materials



May 9, 1961 A. HART 8 ,0 3

PROCESSING MACHINE FOR PILE MATERIALS Filed Sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 k 2 JNVENTOR.

. ADOLPH HART May 9, 1961 A. HART PROCESSING MACHINE FOR PILE MATERIALS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1955 IN VEN TOR. ADOLPH HART May 9, 1961 A. HART 2,983,023 PROCESSING MACHINE FOR PILE MATERIALS Filed Sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. ADOLPH HART May 9, 1961 A. HART PROCESSING MACHINE FOR PILE MATERIALS Filed Sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. ADOLPH HART .Aiiflfi/Vi) NwW R NN wi Em HE) g Q N& h M & N2 g wk ms & g

i g E 3 EL Q nited States Patent 2,983,023 PROCESSING MACHINE FOR PILE MATERIALS Adolph Hart, 49 N. 2nd Ave., Mount Vernon, N .Y. Filed Sept. 21, 1955, Ser. No. 535,610 9 Claims. (Cl. 26-2) This invention relates to a machine for ironing, brushing and beating fur or other soft, high pile materials, and has for its main object the provision of a generally improved apparatus through which may be processed, with minimum attentionand at a substantial speed, a continuous web of material of the type stated.

Material of the type referred to is difficult to process efiiciently, due to the softness and depth of its nap or pile, the general delicacy of the material, and the difficulty of making exact adjustments for different thicknesses of nap, so that a single machine can process any of a large number of furs, or other high pile materials.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a machine which will obviate the difficulties which have been experienced in the prior art.

Another object of importance is to provide an improved heating cylinder, having beating or brushing grooves so formed and arranged relative to one another as to provide an improved brushing action on pile material or on the fur as it travels in contact with said cylinder.

Another object is to embody in the heating cylinder an improved means, that will impart heat uniformly and with maximum control to the web passing through the apparatus.

Another object is to incorporate in the machinery a pivoted cradle shiftable by air pressure, and adapted to impart a firm but yielding pressure on the web tending to hold the same in engagement with the heating cylinder, the cradle being so designed as to be adjustable pivotally about its axis to any extent desired, and being further designed for elfecting a wider range of adjustments of the tension of the belt carried thereby in engagement with the web, the latter adjustments being made independently of or in combination with the pivotal adjustments of the cradle.

A further object is to provide a generally improved, novel arrangement of the heating and brushing cylinder relative to a heater, spreader, and front and rear feeding and guiding rolls, designed to produce maximum efliciency as regards the proper treatment of the web of pile material.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus formed according to the present invention, parts being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through the apparatus substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

2,983,023. Patented May 9, 1961 Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a developed view of the heating cylinder with the surface of the cylinder spread out upon a flat surface.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view through the heating cylinder showing the means for connecting the same to a plurality of heating elements confined therein.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the heating cylinder.

Figs. 9 through 14 are elevational views of the several spacer discs interposed in alternating relation to the heating elements.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view on line 15-15 of Fig. 8.

The apparatus constituting the present invention includes front base plates 10 disposed at the front corners of the apparatus, and rear base plates 12 at the rear corners thereof. At one end of the apparatus, shown as the left-hand end in Fig. 1, there is provided an end housing 14, while an end housing 16 is similarly provided at the opposite end of the apparatus. The housings, as will presently appear, contain the driving mechanisms of the apparatus, and extending between the housings are the several rolls and cylinders past which the web is led.

End housing 14 (see Figs. 1 and 2) includes a vertical outer side wall 18, a vertical front wall 20, a vertical rear wall 22, a horizontal wall 24 lying in a plane below the upper end of the outer side wall, and an inner, vertically disposed side wall 26. The several walls provide an upstanding, rectangular end housing recessed at its upper end, and mounted in the recess is a bearing support plate 28 on which is mounted a heating cylinder bearing 30.

At its lower end, outer side wall 18 is recessed, and bounding the edge of the recess are upwardly converging support legs 32, 34, leg 34 merging into a horizontally disposed motor support plate or ledge 36 which in turn merges into an upstanding motor housing wall 38 vertically disposed in transversely spaced relation to a rear motor housing wall 49. Within the rectangular housing provided in this manner there is disposed a drive motor 42 having associated therewith a gear reduction mechamsm.

End housing 16 is formed substantially similarly to the housing 14, and includes vertical front and rear walls 44, 46 respectively, an outer side wall 48, and an inner side Wall 50. Lying in a horizontal plane below the upper ends of the walls 48, 50 is a horizontal top wall 52, on which is mounted a bearing support plate 54 to which are secured pillow block bearings 56, 58 aligned coaxially r with one another and with the bearing 30. Adjacent bearing 56 (Fig. 1) there is mounted an upwardly projecting, transversely disposed electrical'connector support plate 69. This is shown also in Fig. 4, and projecting outwardly from plate 60 at the upper end thereof, in parallel relation to the common axis of bearings 56, 58 is a spindle 62.

Mounted upon spindle 62 are annular electrical insulators or spacer discs 64, alternating with brushes 66 (Fig. 4), eight brushes being provided in the preferred illustrated embodiment. The brushes electrically contact annular, conductive rings 68 that alternate with spacer discs 70 of insulating material, and are secured to a heater cylinder stub shaft or trunnion 72 for rotation therewith.

Shaft 72 is journalled in bearings 56, 58, and projects outwardly beyond the outer side wall 48 of end housing 16. The projecting end of the shaft is secured to a large assaoaa '3 diameter driven pulley 74 about which are trained belts 76 passing also about a drive pulley 78 secured to the shaft 80 of a. heating cylinder drive motor 82 mounted in ahousing 84 (Fig. 4) provided in the lower end of the end housing 16. A support bracket 86 projects inwardly from one wall of housing 84, and is connected to a motor support ledge 88, said ledge 88 being pivotally adjustable upon'bracket 86 so as to raise or lower the motor at one side thereof, thus to correspondingly ad-,

just the tension of belts 76.

The heating and brushing cylinder has been generally designated at 90, and is illustrated to best advantage in Figs. 1, 3 and 8. It includes a sleeve 92 contacted by the web of pile material F that passes through the machine, and formed of an electrically insulative material having a high rating of thermal conductivity, such as commercial plastics, namely Bakelite or the like.

Formed in the outer surface of the sleeve are spiralling grooves 94, 96 having closed ends. The grooves 94 are arranged in parallel extending longitudinally of the cylinder, and being spiralled in one direction, for example, of a right-hand helix. Grooves 96 are also arranged in parallel and being angularly spaced about the circumference of the cylinder 90 a distance of substantially 30 of the grooves 94 at opposite sides thereof. The grooves 96 are formed identically to the grooves 94, except for being of opposite hand, and as shown to particular advantage in Fig. 5, the ends of grooves94 terminate adjacent the end portions of the grooves 96 at opposite sides thereof. The same is of course true of the grooves 96, these terminating adjacent the end portions of the grooves 94. Between grooves 94 and 96 non-spiral, longitudinal grooves 95 are provided, which are substantially one half of the length of grooves 94' and 96, used for untwisting or opening the yarn.

The particular groove arrangement has been found to provide an improved brushing action, that is adapted to raise the nap of the web F uniformly as the web passes in contact with and is heated by the cylinder 90.

The particular cross-sectional shape of each groove is also of importance, and has been shown to advantage in Fig. 6. Each groove includes a radial wall 98, and a wide, gently sloping Wall 100 having a transverse convexity. Short, flat walls '101 are disposed at opposite sides of the sloping wall 100, one of the walls 101 being extended radially of the heating cylinder and the other wall being disposed at the base of the wall 98 and being normal to said wall 98. This particular construction has been found to be especially effective in producing a proper brushing of the nap during operation of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 7, extending longitudinally of the inner surface of sleeve 92 for the full length of said sleeve, and angularly spaced uniform distances apart about the inner circumference of the sleeve, are shallow, transversely curved keyways 102, receiving keys provided upon cylindrical electrical heating elements 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, so that said heating elements rotate with the sleeve 92.

The heating elements are identical in length to one another, and are formed open at their opposite ends, and as shown in Fig. 8, are spaced apart by flat, thin spacer discs 116, 118, 120, 122, and 124 formed with center openings (omitted from Figs. 9-14 for the sake of simplicity) and formed of electrically insulative material. At opposite ends of the series of coaxial heating elements, end insulating discs 126, 128 are provided, these being slightly thicker than the discs previously described and being formed with smaller center openings.

Abutting against the end spacer discs, and holding the series of heating elements in position within the sleeve 92, are plugs 130, 132, centrally apertured to receive the ends of the heating cylinder trunnions or shafts. One of these shafts comprises the shaft 72 hereinbefore described, and the other shaft is journalled in bearing 30.

and has been designated at 133. In the illustrated, preferred embodiment, there are six heating elements, and means is provided to supply electrical power to each of said heating elements independently of that supplied to any other element, thus permitting control of the temperature of each element independently. Means is also provided to supply heat independently of the heating elements to the sleeve 92, to aid in the uniform distribution of heat through the material of said sleeve. In other words, the heating elements provide heat which is transmitted through the sleeve 92 to the material being processed, and also, the sleeve 92 is independently heated by means of an electrical heating element or wire 134. In Fig. 8, an electrical heating element is illustrated at only one end of the heating cylinder, but it will be understood that a similar heating element will also be provided at the other end, formed in the same manner.

The heating element 134 is provided with leads projecting from the adjacent end of sleeve 92, and as shown in Fig. 15, a set screw 136 is threaded into'a collar 138 formed upon shaft 72, the set screw bearing against leads 140 extending to heating element 134.

As shown in Fig. 8, there are eight brushes 68, and the two brushes 68 furthest to the right in Fig. 8 are used to supply and lead ofi? current flowing through the heating element 134 leads. The next two brushes 68 have leads extending to the heating element 114, while the next two have leads extending to the heating element 112. The two brushes 68 furthest to the left in Fig. 8 are used in association with leads extending to heating element 110.

The left-hand end of the apparatus, viewing the same as in Figs. 1 and 8, is provided with a brush and conductive ring assembly 141 similar to that shown at the right in these figures of the drawing. The two brushes furthest to the left of assembly 141 are usedto'supply electrical power to the heating element similar to element 134, at this end of the heating cylinder, while the remaining brushes are used in pairs, to supply current to heating elements 104, 1106 and 108, respectively,

Rheostatic control means can thus be associated with the several pairs of leads that extend to the heating element 134 and similar element and the heating elements in the heating cylinder, to provide for an accurate control of the heat produced by the same.

Referring to Figs. 9 through 14, there are here shown the several spacer discs, to illustrate the paths through which the leads are extended from the brushes to the several heating elements. End disc 126, shown in Fig. 9, has six annularly spaced apertures, through which three pairs of leads extend, said pairs extending to the heating elements 104, 106, 108 respectively. Two of the apertures, designated at 142, provide openings through which extend the leads for heating element 104.

Disc 116 (Fig. 10) has only four apertures, since the leads to the heating element 104 terminate at said heating element. Two of the apertures of disc 116, designated at 144, carry the leads for heating element 106.

Disc 118 has only two apertures, designated at 146, and extending therethrough are the leads to heating elements 108.

The discs 122, 124, 128, shown in Figs. 12 through 14, are similarly formed, dislc 122 having apertures 152 re ceiving leads to heating element 110. Disc 124 has four apertures, carrying the leads for the heating element and also the leads to heating element 112. The openings receiving the leads for heating element 112 have been designated at 150. Disc 128 has six apertures, and two of them, designated at 148, carry the leads for element 114. The areas around the openings may be colored with contrasting colors for identification purposes as indicated.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, overlying the heating cylinder is a cover 156 to which is hinged a lid 158 extending the full length of the cylinder, the lid 158 having hingedly connected hood-like extensions 160, 162 extending downwardly at the front of the apparatus.

The end housings are also provided with covers, the housing 16 having a removable cover 164 (Fig. 4). Housing :14 would be similarly equipped. The several rolls and cylinders, in their desired relationship, have been shown in Fig. 3, and as will be noted, there are provided front and rear feeding and guiding rolls 166, 168, respectively, disposed in a substantially common horizontal plane and extending in parallelism with and below the heating cylinder.

The front and rear rolls 166 and 168 are mounted on shafts 170, 172, shaft 170 projecting (Fig. 2) at its ends through forwardly projecting roll end plates 174. Within the end housings, bearings 176 are provided, the ends of shaft 170 being journalled therein, and a hand wheel 178 is secured to one end of shaft 170, to effect manual rotation of the same whenever desired. Below the feeding roll 166, a cylindrical guide bar 180 is mounted, with its ends clampably engaged in clamps 182 secured to the inner side walls of the end housings.

Below and slightly rearward of rear guiding roll 168 is a beater shaft 184, having longitudinally extending radial blades 186. Spaced horizontally and forwardly of the heating cylinder is a spreader roll mounted at its ends in bearings 188, the spreader roll being designated at 190.

A cradle is provided in the device, and includes spaced idler rollers 192, 194, about which is trained a wide belt 196 which in width is approximately equal to the length of the front feeding roll 166.

Reference should now be had to Figs. 1 and 2, showing the means for driving the several rolls, with the exception of the heating cylinder which is driven separately by the motor 82. Motor 42 is provided with a drive pulley 193. A belt 243%) passes about pulley 198, and is trained about a larger driven pulley 2M. secured to shaft 170.

Also secured to shaft 170 is a pulley 204, about which is trained a belt 206 passing about a pulley 208 secured to the end of the spreader roll shaft.

A second pulley 219 is secured to the shaft of motor 42, and drives a belt 212 passing about the shaft 184 of the beater.

From the construction illustrated and described, it will be seen that drive is supplied from motor 42, for rotating the front feeding roll, the spreader roll, and the beater shaft. Drive is transmitted to the rear guiding roll 168 directly from the front roll 166, through the medium of a sprocket 214 secured to shaft 170, a chain 216 passing about said sprocket and about a sprocket secured to the rear guiding roll. The sprocket and chain connection between the rolls 166 and 168 is disposed within the end housing 16, at the end of the apparatus opposite from that in which motor 42 is mounted.

Extending the length of the heating cylinder and the several rolls is a cradle generally designated at 218, the idler rolls 192, 194 being a part of said cradle. (Iradle 218 is pivoted along its rear edge upon a rock shaft 220 extending in parallelism with the heating cylinder and mounted for vertical adjustment within bearings 222, the bearings 222 being mounted upon the inner side walls of the end housings for adjustment in a vertical direction. Projecting forwardly from the ends of shaft 220 are arms 224, and connected between said arms are transversely spaced channel members 226, 228. Connected between the rnidiength portions of the channel members is a connecting plate 230, extending into the bifurcated upper end of a piston 232, said piston being pivotally connected to the plate 230 and projecting upwardly from a cylinder 234 to which air or other pressure fluid can be supplied under pressure. At its lower end, cylinder 234 is pivotally connected at 236 to a forwardly projectng plate 238 fixedly mounted upon the midlength portion of a transversely tilted angle member 240 ex- 6 tending the full distance between the respective end housings (see Fig. 1).

Angle member 240 is mounted upon the inclined front wall of a downwardly opening, channel-shaped bottom plate 242 of the apparatus, said bottom plate being connected between the respective end housings 14, 16 and being of downwardly opening, channel-shaped cross section for the purpose of reducing to a minimum the unused space within the apparatus, thus to improve suction within the apparatus in a manner to be made presently apparent.

Adjustment of the distance between the idler rolls 192, 194 is effected by mounting roll 194 in a sliding follower block 244, the roll 192 being mounted upon a stationary block 246. A threaded screw 248, having a hand knob projecting beyond the front edge of the cradle, is threadedly engaged with the block 244 and when rotated, adjusts block 244 and hence the roll 194 toward or away from the roll 192, thus to adjust the tension upon the belt 196 trained about said rollers.

Air or other fluid under pressure is led to the cylinder 234 through the means of a pipe assembly 253, with the inflow and outflow of air being controlled through the medium of a two-way valve 252, so that air can be supplied to the opposite ends of the cylinder through hoses 253, to extend or retract the piston, as desired.

When the apparatus is in operation, lint, dirt, and other foreign matter extracted by the beater, feeding and guiding rolls, and heating cylinder from the web of pile material F is sucked out of the apparatus, by provision of a suction conduit the inlet of which has been shown at 254 (Fig. 3). Suction is set up within said conduit in any suitable manner, and draws air inwardly through the front of the apparatus past the web as the web moves through the machine.

In use, the web is threaded through the apparatus in the manner shown in Fig. 3, being trained about the beater, rear guiding roll 168, heating cylinder, spreader, front feeding roll 166, and guide bar in succession. in use of the apparatus, piston 232 is extended, to swing the cradle 218 upwardly, and this causes the belt of the cradle to engage the underside of the web F, tending to hold the web firmly against the surface of the heating cylinder. The web is disposed in contact with the heating cylinder with its nappy surface faced toward the heat ing cylinder, and the grooves 94, 96 effect a brushing action upon said nap during the ironing thereof.

The cradle can be swung upwardly to any desired extent, by control of the air or other pressure fluids supplied to the cylinder, thus to correspondingly adjust the amount of the web F that is in contact with the ironing or heating cylinder. In other words, by adjusting the cradle to the dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 3, the web is in contact with the heating cylinder through only a small portion of the periphery of the heating cylinder. Adjustment of the cradle to a higher position causes a greater portion of the circumference of the heating cylinder to be in contact with the Web F, and at the same time causes the web to be pressed more firmly against the surface of the heating cylinder, thus to increase the amount of heat supplied to the web by proronging the length of time in which the web will be in contact with the heating cylinder while passing through the machine.

At the same time, adjustments are possible in the tension of the belt 196, and thus, by selective tensioning of the belt 196 in relation to the extent to which the cradle was swung upwardly, the web F can be placed in engagement with the circumference of the heating cylinder over a substantial portion of said circumference, while at the same time not being pressed against the cylinder with any more than a comparatively small amount of pressure. The pressure of the web against the heating cylinder can thus be regulated in respect to the portion of the heating cylinder circumference which is in contact with the web.

spa m r It will be understood that additional rolls or heating cylinders canbe embodied in the apparatus if desired, so that the web need not be passed through the apparatus more than once. This is believed sufilciently obvious as not to require special illustration herein.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 560,312, filed J an. 20, 1956, now Patent No. 2,961,733, issued Nov. 29, 1960.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housings for simultaneously driving said rolls and cylinder, said cylinder being formed with pairs of parallel spiraling grooves and straight grooves between the spiral grooves, said spiral grooves being angularly spaced about the circumference of the cylinder, and the spiral grooves of one pair being of opposite hand in relation to the groove of a pair at opopsite sides thereof, each groove in cross section having a radial wall and a wall sloping from the radial wall to the surface of the cylinder, the sloping wall being outwardly convex and having short flat walls at opposite sides of the sloping wall, one of said short walls being disposed radially of the cylinder and the other flat wall being disposed normal to the first-named radial wall.

2. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housings for simultaneously driving said rolls and cylinder, said cylinder comprising a sleeve of a material having a high rating of thermal conductivity, and a plurality of cylindrical heating elements arranged end to end within said sleeve, said cylinder including means for supplying electrical current to each of said heating elements independently of the remaining elements, each heating element being spaced from the adjacent heating elements at opposite ends thereof, said heating cylinder including electrically insulative spacer discs interposed between adjacent heating elements to maintain the same in spaced relation, said means for supplying current to the heating elements including leads extending through the spacer discs in pairs, one pair to each heating element, and further including a plurality of spaced electrically conductive rings at opposite ends of the cylinder and brushes mounted upon the end housings adjacent said rings in electrical contact therewith, said rings being arranged in pairs with the leads of each heating element extending from a different pair of rings.

3. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housing for simultaneously driving said rolls and cylinder, the means for driving the cylinder being disposed in one end housing and the means for driving said rolls being disposed in the opposite end housing, said machine further including a beater roll adjacent the guiding roll drivingly connected to the means for rotating the rolls, said machine further including a spreader roll, the feeding roll having a driving connection with said spreader roll, said heating cylinder beingprovided with a plurality of independently heated elements positioned in side by side relationship and means to supply an electric heating of said elements.

4. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housings for simulta-.

neously driving said rolls and cylinder, said machine including in addition a heater roll and a spreader roll spaced from the feeding and guiding rolls and heating cylinder, and a web-supporting cradle underlying the heating cylinder to support the web in contact with the heating cylinder, said cradle being pivotally mounted to swing about an axis paralleling the length of the heating cylinder, for adjustment of the cradle toward and away from the heating cylinder, the cradle including a support, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted upon said support, and a web-engaging belt trained about said rollers, said belt on pivotal adjustment of the cradle toward the heating cylinder being adapted to conform itself to the curvature of said heating cylinder, to extend theweb in contact with the heating cylinder through a portion of the heating cylinder circumference, one of said rollers of the cradle being mounted for adjustment toward and away from the other, thus to place the belt under selected tension, whereby to effect adjustments in the tension with which the. web is held against the heating cylinder, in

relation to the extent of the heating cylinder circumference with which the web is in contact, said machine additionally including means for applying pressure to the cradle tending to shift the same toward and away from said heating cylinder, said heating cylinder being provided with a plurality of independently heated elements positioned in side by side relationship and means to supply an electric heating current to each of said elements.

' 5. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housings for simultaneously driving said rolls and cylinder, said machine including in addition a heater roll and a spreader roll spaced from the feeding and guiding rolls and heating cylinder, and a web-supporting cradle underlying the heating cylinder to Support the web in contact with the heating cylinder, said cradle being pivotally mounted to swing about an axis paralleling the length of the heating cylinder, for adjustment of the cradle toward and away from the heating cylinder, the cradle including a support, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted upon said support, and a web-engaging belt trained about said rollers, said belt on pivotal adjustment of the cradle toward the heating cylinder, being adapted to conform itself to the curvature of said heating cylinder, to extend the web in contact with the heating cylinder through a portion of the heating cylinder circumference, one of said rollers of the cradle being mounted for adjustment toward and away from the other, thus to place the belt under selected tension, whereby to effect adjustments in the tension with which the Web is held against the heating cylinder, in relation to the extent of the heating cylinder circumference with which the web is in contact, said machine additionally including means for applying pressure to the cradle tending to shift the same toward and away from said heating cylinder, said last-named means comprising a cylinder adapted to receive a fluid under pressure, and a piston extending from the cylinder and connected with the cradle, said heating cylinder being provided with a plurality of independently heated elements positioned in side by side relationship and means to supply an electric heating current to each of said elements. 7

6. A machine for processing a traveling web of a nappy material comprising a pair of end housings; a feeding roll, a guiding roll, and at least one heating and current to each i brushing cylinder extending between said housings in parallel relation, and means in the housings for simultaneously driving said rolls and cylinder, said machine including in addition a heater roll and a spreader roll spaced from the feeding and guiding rolls and heating cylinder, and a web-supporting cradle underlying the heating cylinder to support the web in contact with the heating cylinder, said cradle being pivotally mounted to swing about an axis paralleling the length of the heating cylinder, for adjustment-of the cradle toward and away from the heating cylinder, the cradle including a support, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted upon said support, and a web-engaging belt trained about said rollers, said belt on pivotal adjustment of the cradle toward the heating cylinder being adapted to conform itself to the curvature of said heating cylinder, to extend the web in contact with the heating cylinder through a portion of the heating cylinder circumference, one of said rollers of the cradle being mounted for adjustment toward and away from the other, thus to place the belt under selected tension, whereby to effect adjustments in the tension with which the web is held against the heating cylinder, in relation to the extent of the heating cylinder circumference with which the web is in contact, said machine additionally including means for applying pressure to the cradle tending to shift the same toward and away from said heating cylinder, said last-named means comprising a cylinder adapted to receive a fluid under pressure, and a piston extending from the cylinder and connected with the cradle, the means for adjusting one roller toward and away from the other comprising blocks mounted upon said support and carrying the rollers, one of said blocks being slidable upon the support, and a screw rotatably mounted within the other block and threadedly engaged with said one block for adjusting said one block toward and away from the other block, said heating cylinder being provided with a plurality of independently heated elements positioned in side by side relationship and means to suply an electric heating current to each of said elements.

7. A machine for ironing, brushing and beating fur and high pile fabrics having in succession from the front of the machine to the rear of the machine a guide bar, a front feeding roll, a spreader, a heating cylinder, a rear guiding roll and a beater roll, a cradle carrying a freely moving belt to press the fabric against the heating cylinder, an adjustment to control the amount of peripheral contact between the heating cylinder and the belt of the cradle and means adjustably to tension the belt, said fabric being passed in reverse order from the rear to the front of the machine.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said heating roll is provided with a plurality of overlapping straight and curved ironing grooves.

9. The machine of claim 7, including means to regulate the heat along the length of the heating cylinder comprising independently insulated and heated elements of said cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,487 Wiles June 12, 1888 1,344,777 Stroud June 29, 1920 1,496,356 Noonan June 3, 1924 2,035,641 Dickie et al. Mar. 31, 1936 2,172,869 Fromrner Sept. 12, 1939 2,376,500 Nelson May 22, 1945 2,407,380 Nelson Sept. 10, 1946 2,477,448 Friedman July 26, 1949 2,526,906 Schaab et al Oct. 24, 1950 2,552,593 Schaab et al. May 15, 1951 2,560,039 Harlow July 10, 1951 2,630,619 Schmidt et al Mar. 10, 1953 2,633,731 Friedman Apr. 7, 1953 2,701,958 Schaab et al. Feb. 15, 1955 2,712,230 Schaab et al. July 5, 1955 2,713,785 Friedman July 26, 1955 2,784,477 Schaab Mar. 12, 1957 2,785,042 Grajeck et al Mar. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,826 Germany Dec. 8, 1932 

